Vintage and Classic Menswear

Murder at the Masquerade

It was committed by all the outfits worn by the gentlemen in this article.

People always ask me “Hey, since you wear a suit all the time, how do you dress for something special? Don’t wearing suits and blazers make it less special?” While yes, as it is true that I view sartorial pieces as everyday wear, there are still ensembles that I absolutely get excited to wear. That’s why I always jump at the chance to wear my tuxedo.

I recently had that opportunity to wear my early 1940’s tux to my university Masquerade. Here are our outfits, along with some new and old faces. These were the gentlemen who stood out to me most during the banquet! You’ll see that the styles range from suit separates and full suits to even tuxedo separates!

Just think of this as inspiration for your next formal event! You don’t ever want to dress like you’re going to prom.

Johnson in the DB

Thanks to yours truly, Johnson has fallen in love with the Double Breasted suit. We’ve seen this one before; he had it custom made for himself from a tailor in Hong Kong. Even though its gorgeous as one suit, you can definitely wear a blue suit as separates. Here, he goes for a pseudo-preppy/nautical vibe with white pants. Can’t say I endorse the windsor knot on the paisley tie, but he makes it work! Perhaps a gold pocket square would have been a better choice, but he used the red to match with his date’s dress. Separates combined this way can be more elegant than a black suit. In fact, following Johnson’s lead will show that you have pride in your outfit rather than “wearing a suit just because you have to for a banquet”.

Christian in Black Tie Creative

Christian has really developed his style. In our Valentine’s day post he went with simple pieces. For the banquet, he went all out and put his own spin on black tie. To borrow a phrase from my friends at AoS, its “black tie creative”.

Firstly, Christian ditches the tux pants for white pants. Most guys (like Ian) would go with a white jacket and black pants, but Christian flips it right up and it works. The fit is right and the peaked lapels are just the right size to make this a classic look. Bonus points for having a velvet jacket. Definitely an inspiration for you guys who want to stand out.

Rajesh in Simplicity

Rajesh shows us that sometimes a simple suit is what’s needed. Like me, he wears suits almost everyday but in contrast, he doesn’t find a need to go extremely elegant. Here, he wears a suit without the disdain for the “uniform”. Rajesh wears it comfortably and allows his girlfriend to be the main focus. He compliments her outfit with a simple, solid (but subtly textured) tie. This is a wonderfully gentleman-like move.

If you don’t to wear a tuxedo at all or don’t want to rent, this is good inspiration for a tuxedo alternative. Just repurpose your suit and go with a crisp white shirt for that added style of “simple yet luxurious”.

Andrew in Mod Vibes

Print shirt? Check. Slick dark suit? Check. Chelsea boots? Hell yeah, check. These items really make Andrew the coolest dressed one at the event. Most guys wore baggy as f*** suits and the other guys simply wore skinny jeans. Andrew kept it semi-casual and formal at the same time and rocked it. If you got his slim frame, rock your black chelsea boots and dark suit. You’ll give off some mad mob vibes.

My only critique for him is that a spread collar shouldn’t be worn with a bowtie. The extra space from this collar (which is almost a cutaway), makes it a little awkward for the bowtie. I almost thought that it was loose.

However, Andrew still wins with the black chelseas. So freaking cool.

Bonus points for actually wearing a mask and matching with your girlfriend.

Ethan in Black Tie

Boom, there it is. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been itching to wear a proper tuxedo. I’ve tried a dinner party and New Year’s Eve and I finally got to wear my full tux. Unlike the one highlighted in the NYE post, this one is completely vintage, hailing from the early 1940’s. It’s got a 4×1 button stance with some wide peak lapels. With some structured shoulder and no lining, it fits my body like a glove and gives me some awesome figure.

Please do not ever rent a tuxedo. Invest in getting your own! You could go vintage (1960 or earlier) or get one custom made. Getting one this way will give you a classic fit that will serve you for all the cocktail parties, opera nights, and weddings you’ll ever have in your life. I’m definitely keeping mine for a long time.

Yes, I realize the pants are a bit wide, but that’s the style. I felt like an old movie star when I was dancing with my gal.

Bonus tip: match your bow tie to your tux trimmings. This tux in particular has grosgrain lapels and pants trimming (marked by the semi-twill nature), rather than full silk. As such, my bowtie is grosgrain to match. This is one of the rules that one should follow when wearing a tux!

Honestly the event was amazing. I got to partake in a fun murder mystery, get a swing dance lesson, and take some awesome pictures. It was a night for the ages.

So which outfits did you like best? Did you prefer a suit or the tuxedo? What would you wear to a banquet like this? Let me know by commenting below!